Icefire
by Huntress Of The Sea
Summary: When the mischievous spirit of winter, Jack Frost, decides to play Scotland a visit one day, the world will never be the same for him. Or for Princess Merida, the wild redheaded girl who can see him. There's something about each other . . . and if the lands of Scotland and the four clans are to be saved from a danger like never before, these two will have to work together.
1. Chapter 1

_Fate has a funny way of working. Trying to change it can make it happen instead, as I discovered._

Hey, don't act so mysterious, and you didn't discover that alone!

_You have no idea how to tell a story properly, do you?_

What is there to it, you just say what happens.

_There's more to it than that. I'd think you'd have an idea, listening to all those yuletide fire stories. _

They're hardly done well, it's just a bunch of normal people who can't see me. Besides, you're the one who grew up with all the fancy stuff.

_Ooh, just be quiet and let me tell the story!_

Whatever.

_As I was saying; fate never works out as one expects it. Some go out and try to change it, determined not to let others run their lives. Others wallow around wondering what they're destined to do until it's suddenly revealed to them. And others still, have a good mix of both. And those are the fates that bring about the most wondrous tales, the most incredible adventures._

_They're also the ones that are the most dangerous. But if the players can see fate's game through, then the rewards are better than ever. Often they get help – like the wisps._

Or a man living in the moon . . .

_And things never turn out like expected. There are many tales that work like this, but none so wrought with magic and adventure and danger than this one. _

This is the tale of discovering one's centre. Of what one really wants. Of what's really important.

_**This is the story of Jack Frost and Merida. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I didn't think I'd get such an interest from that tiny beginning. But I guess I was wrong. *smiles* I need to stop underestimating what I do. It's starting to annoy my friends. I'm glad people like this! So here is the start!**

I laughed wildly and slid down the stone banister to the inner courtyard. "Sorry, 'scuse me!" I called out, ducking under the poleaxe of a guard and leaping down the last few steps to the ground. I dashed through the courtyard to Angus's stall, seeing in the corner of my eyes three heads with curls as bright a red as my own dancing around the walls with loops of rope.

I fought a smile. "Pies are out of the ovens, boys!" I prompted. They saluted and grinned at me. I dodged around a maid, coming up to Angus's stall and swinging myself over one of the low walls.

Double checking with a glance that he was properly tacked up (servants can hardly be trusted to treat Angus properly) I grabbed a rein and some mane and swung up, tapping his sides the moment I sat down.

We charged out, and I grinned at the panicked cries and movements of people. I wasn't going to hit them, honestly, I'm better than that! Crouched low over Angus's neck we tore out of the castle and down the road into the lush woods.

I lifted my head and closed my eyes, feeling the wind over my face. It carried both the smells of the forest and just the faintest scent of the salty sea. For a moment I just listened to the pounding hooves and felt the movement of Angus beneath me. Glorious, the feelings that made me feel alive.

It's funny, I get more days to _not _be a princess ever since I accidentally turned my mum into a bear (blasted witch tricked me!) and broke the tradition of getting married. I had lots more days to do what I wanted.

I nudged Angus down the path with the targets and pulled my bow free. Sitting back as we raced under the shadows I nocked an arrow and pulled the string to my cheek, already sighting for the first target.

When it came into view I released, a quick glance as I cantered past showing me it had hit its mark. I continued down the path, shooting my arrows at the targets I knew so well and hurdling over jumps placed at the most challenging moments.

Pushing forward to the high jump up ahead, I readied an arrow for the knot in the upcoming tree that was full of old arrows. I felt Angus tense up for the jump just as I let my arrow fly. I grabbed mane as we went over, and when we landed I looked back over my shoulder, I could see all the arrows shaking.

I laughed and let out a yell of delight.

Angus whinnied and reared, slamming his forelegs heavily onto the ground before going into a wild buck. I flew forward and hit the ground rolling. I coughed and sat up, brushing back hair and glaring up at my dark Clydesdale. "Angus!" He whinnied again and pranced around.

I pushed myself to my feet, brushed myself off, and took an angry step forward. The ground crunched beneath and I froze. Something didn't sound right. I looked down. The ground was thinly covered in a pale layer of what looked like frost.

I frowned in confusion and knelt down, feeling it. It was cold and damp to the touch, just like real frost. But it was the middle of summer here; there couldn't have been any frost.

"Well, at least you had a good reason for throwing me," I said quietly. I looked up; Angus's eyes were wide with whites all around. Ignoring the crunch beneath my feet I walked over and calmed Angus. Stroking his face and eyeing the frost, I noticed more creeping up, forming a sort of pattern.

And coming towards me.

"Magic," I breathed. I'd had enough of witches and their nasty tricks! I swung up onto Angus and dug my heels in. "Yah!" He needed no encouragement and bolted off at a gallop. Spurring him on a glance back showed the frost was following, and keeping pace. I clucked my tongue, trying to pull out more speed.

Blue flashed in the edge of my vision, a shiver ran up my spine, the sighing voices of wisps were suddenly playing in my ears.

The wisps!

I hadn't thought to see any more. Wisps lead people to their fates, and I thought there wasn't much more in store for me. Another glance showed the frost was still following. The wisps stilled danced in the edge of my vision. There was little chance I'd get away at this rate, and it might follow me home.

Gritting my teeth I yanked Angus's head towards the wisps and spurred him on. He shook his head in protest but didn't slow. He climbed up the rocky, hilly ground covered in leafy ferns, moving with speed one wouldn't expect.

The wisps were clearly visible now, vanishing whenever I rode close. If I strained my ears I thought I could hear the cracking frost, mixed in with the wisp voices and Angus's labored breathing and heavy footsteps.

He crested a rise, grunting, and we were tearing across open ground. A look showed the frost was still following. I tried to gain more speed, but Angus was maxed. There were several wisps close together up ahead. They vanished suddenly. Angus stopped dead and I barely managed to catch myself on his neck.

We were in front of the standing stones. Why had the wisps lead me here? Again?

The frost had stopped. I looked at it warily and dismounted, treading lightly forward into the circle. A shiver ran up my spine as my eyes fell upon the broken stone that had killed Mor'du. Then I noticed the shiny, silver-blue surface spreading out before me.

I let out a gasp and tried to step back, but my foot slipped and I went sprawling. I scrambled for purchase, but I wasn't used to the icy ground and the only thing I did was push myself around haphazardly with increasing speed. I called out, hoping someone would be nearby and hear.

The small of my back collided with something and the back of my head hit stone. Everything started dimming to black.

**A/N: So what do you think? Mischief has hit the highlands of Scotland! What will happen next? I . . . actually don't know. I've barely an inkling of where this will go. Then again, that's not surprising . . . anyways. What did you think? I like feedback! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The rather sudden amount of reviews with advice for how I should continue made me want to write some on this! The point of views go Jack-Merida-Jack. I need to come up with a way to distinguish them ... Say, in the interest of plot ideas, how would you guys react if Merida had short hair at some point?  
Oh, also in my mind this is before Jack is a guardian, and he has some weird time-travel-like ability (he's technically born about 800 years after Merida. Probably more). **

You'd think after a few years of drifting around and causing mayhem, one would get bored of it. Instead, I found it getting more fun.

At this time, I was in the land of the four clans, off in the far west. Everything was green and healthy, and I was really wishing that summer wasn't sticking around so long. By now, I should be allowed to make as much ice as I want. Everything is so boring when there's no snow.

I'd been drifting around above some forest. In the distance on a hill, not too far from the ocean, there was a stone castle. I'd lazed around on some breezes, feeling the promising chill of autumn and then winter in them.

Making a few ice shapes in front of me, I looked down and noticed something moving. It was quick, and fairly large. For the most part it looked dark, but there was something colourful about it, seeing as there was a mass of bright red.

I swooped down lower in curiousity. It was a large black horse, with a female rider. I flew beside her, keeping easy pace as she galloped her horse into the woods. She looked happy, grinning, her pale blue eyes shining. She had freckles and a wild mass of curly, bright red hair. A bow was on her back, and a quiver with arrows hung from her waist.

She looked like the type of person who could have fun.

I watched her. From a distance, mind you, just in case she could see me. I wouldn't want to scare off a person who could actually see me! Hopefully.

She closed her eyes and seemed to enjoy things for a moment. A few strides later she sat up and opened her eyes, a sort of determined look on her face. She pulled off her bow and nocked an arrow. Even though there was no way she could see me through the tree (or see me any other time, for that matter) I still banked lower, anxious to get out of the way of a loaded weapon.

I wonder if they could hurt me. She fired the arrow at a target above my head. I paused in my flight to look at it. "Whoa," I muttered. "You're a good shot." She was a fair way down the path now. "Hey, wait up!" I readjusted my grip on my staff and soared after her.

It was hard to tell if I should be cautious around this girl or not as I trailed her galloping shoot. She cleared fences easily and fired arrows that never missed. Although there was the fierce look in her eyes there was also a lot of fun and mischief.

She seemed to be coming up to the end of her course. Grinning, I thought, _let's see how much fun you really are. _I put on a burst of speed and passed her, going up by some lengths to the far side of a jump. I alighted in a tree and waved my hand, creating a few spiraling designs of frost on the path. I hoped the enchantment would work.

I looked back and watched as she released an arrow at a tree knot full of them the moment her horse left the ground. The arrow still flew and true and she remained on. Impressive. She looked back, laughed, and let out a whoop of delight.

Her horse noticed my frost designs. Immediately he screamed, rearing and then bucking. The girl went flying off. I winced. Oops, didn't mean for that to happen. I guess the beast picked up on my magic.

The girl sat up and glared at the horse. "Angus!" she exclaimed indignantly, her horse still prancing around. She had a Scottish accent, one that was sweet and smooth. She brushed back a bright curl and got to her feet, taking a step towards her horse.

When the frost crunched, she froze and looked down, her eyes widening. She crouched down and touched it, frowning. No, no, no, she's supposed to pass _over _the frost for the enchantment to work!

"Well, at least you had a good reason for throwing me," she said to her horse. She pushed herself to her feet and walked over the horse, calming it despite the fact it gave my ice designs the eye.

I frowned. I'd been hoping to try this enchantment on her. The girl seemed like the perfect test run. _Well, that failed, _I thought, _unless . . . _I hoped neither the girl nor the horse would notice as I raised my hand and sent the frost creeping forward. If I could get it to circle her . . .

The girl's eyes widen and she tensed. She'd been watching it. "Magic," she breathed. She swung up on to her horse and galloped off back the way she had come.

"Oh come on!" I grumbled, rising up from the tree and following her. I let the frost trail below me. At least a chase _could _be fun, as long as she doesn't panic.

Her horse was racing fast, and she glanced back so often I was glad I was above her line of sight. I was laughing quietly and flying after her. She suddenly caught sight of something else and pulled her horse off the road. I frowned and veered after her. What the heck? I let the frost continue to come.

She was riding up rocky ground now, and I slowed myself accordingly. I didn't want to freeze her, after all. The girl was urging her horse faster. I wondered where she was going and quickly rose above the canopy.

When I saw where she was going, I was really shocked and confused. She was heading to the standing stones ring that just so happened to be my current residence. One could hardly blame me – it was out of the way, so I could cover it in ice all I wanted, and the place was originally meant for contacting the moon. It was a good a place as any, if I were to ever get answers.

I ducked back under the trees. She crested the rise and tore off down a stretch of smooth ground, heading right to the standing stones.

"No, no, no," I muttered. I swept to the ground and slid along the ice after her. Her horse stopped dead, throwing her forward to his neck. I quickly drifted to the side, behind her horse and out of her line of sight as she dismounted, wide eyed.

I watched her as she glanced at my frost trail. She gave it a distrustful look and walked towards the circle, just stepping inside. She noticed the ice covering the ground inside. She let out a gasp and moved backwards, her feet slipping.

She went sprawling forward, sliding on her back. She flailed about, trying to get up only to spin around even more ridiculously. I laughed out loud. I leaned on my staff and laughed, watching as she went on wildly out of control. She yelled out for help. A moment later she slid up a slight slope of the back of her head made an audible crack.

The girl's body went limp, and slowed to a stop. I stopped laughing and drifted over to stand next to her. I poked her with the butt end of my staff. She didn't move. I gave a dry smile. "Oops." I floated up to sit on top of a standing stone. "Guess I'll just have to wait until you wake up."

* * *

I was freezing cold. I was damp in odd places against my skin and my head throbbed. My hands slipped multiple times as I tried to sit up, and it was dizzying to blink my eyes open. The moments before being knocked unconscious trickled back to me. I felt a moment of panic; if this was some magic user . . .

"Hey, you're awake!" A boy's voice with a strange lilt made me jump and look around wildly. "That means the other immortals can't add 'ending a life' to my list of crimes," the voice continued, chuckling. "That'd be a pretty lame addition."

Finally my vision righted and I looked up towards the voice. There was a boy about my age sitting on top of on the stones. A tall wooden with a half-circle curl end was resting in his hand. His hair was white, his skin almost as pale, and his eyes a blue lighter than mine. He was barefoot – which I could tell because one leg dangled down – and in beat up brown clothing that made me think of foreigners.

I stared at him, trying to not gap. "Just who are you?" I asked, my voice thin. My breath clouded.

It was his turn to jump and stare. His eyes went wide. "You can see me?" he breathed. "You . . . you can _actually _see me?"

I nodded and made a face, eyeing him oddly. "'Course I can."

He stared for a moment, then let out a whoop of joy, and the next thing I knew was _flying backwards in a circle. _He touched down and stood there yelling, "Someone can see me!"

I was too shocked by the flying this. "You – you can _fly!_" I screeched, emphasizing with my hands.

He drew himself up importantly. "Well, of course I can. Pretty awesome, right?"

I scrambled to my feet, sliding and gripping the stone behind me for support. "How – how can you fly?" I demanded. "What are ya? Some witch's experiment? A sorcerer?"

The boy gave me a puzzled look. "Uh, none of the above? As far as I know, it's from the moon."

"The moon," I said flatly. For a moment I didn't know what to say. I took a deep breath. "Who – who are you?"

The happy look melted off the boy's face. "Wait . . . you don't know?" I stared in horror as he drifted down to stand in front of me on the ice. "That – you're only supposed to see me if you believe in me."

"Well, I'm seein' but I ain't sure if I'm believing this," I said. "Now who are you? And why are these stones covered in – in ice?"

A good deal less joyful the boy said, "Well, they're covered 'cause I froze them. I control ice and snow – and good times, too, I guess. Name's Jack Frost."

I frowned and raised an eyebrow. "What sort of a name is 'Jack Frost'?" The name was odd on my tongue.

"Dunno, it's just was the moon told me," he replied. "So can I have your name."

I lifted my chin a notch. "Merida. Merida of the Dun'Broach clan, princess of the four clans."

"Princess?" He lifted his eyebrows. "Well, that'd explain the castle I saw. You don't strike me as much of a princess type, though."

"What's it to ya?" I snapped. "You're – you're just some magic _thing _livin' in the stones who apparently had nothin' better to do than follow me, 'cause I'm willing to bet you made that – the ice – frost – follow me!"

He grinned. "Didn't I say good times? It's not my fault I didn't get to try that enchantment on you."

"Enchantment!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Ach, you are something vile!" Angrily – and rather scared about being turned into a, toad, or something – I pushed myself away from the rock and towards the edge of the circle. My arms splayed for balance I wobbled and slid forward. I heard a slight movement and suddenly the ice was gone in front of me. I stumbled.

I looked over at that Jack Frost, annoyed. He didn't really appear to care, leaning on his staff.

"You know, you could have asked for that," he said. "I may not care about rules, but I do have a heart – even if it is half frozen."

For a moment I stared at him. "I don't know what you are," I said quietly. "But I don't want anything thing ta do with ya!" He looked a bit offended but without further ado I swung up onto Angus (who was rather nervous) and reined him around, swiftly kicking him up.

I galloped back to the castle as fast as Angus could take me. When I pulled him to a halt in the courtyard and dismounted I realized my heart was hammering, and not in the way it does when one is tired. I lead Angus to his stall, quickly tidying up to let him have a well deserved rest. I'd worked him hard.

I wandered down to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling. The pie trays were either missing or empty (obviously stolen by the boys). Maudie shooed me out for getting in the way of dinner, so I snagged an apple and went off to find something to do. I wanted to get my mind off what had happened.

Passing through the great hall to the upper halls, I found my da and the triplets romping about. The triplets were giving my da a good run for it. I laughed and tossed my apple core aside and joined in, yelling as loudly as any of them.

* * *

_Merida. _The name of the first person who could see me. And a princess, no less. A princess who could shoot and ride a horse and _see me. _But she didn't like me. I didn't know if it was fear, or confusion, or if she was pushing away her interest in a mysterious, immortal boy who is quite clever and fun.

I shook my head. Definitely wasn't the last one. She didn't like me. She didn't trust me. But she could see me. I _liked _her seeing me. I didn't want her to just vanish from my life. She was fun, brave, and she seemed pretty damn smart. I couldn't let her just vanish.

I rose out of the standing stones and over top of the forest. Luckily the castle was on the top of a hill. I soared over to it. It was a hubbub of people who couldn't see me. Except for one. _You don't get rid of me that easily, Red. _

**A/N: I feel like every time Jack sees a person having fun without his 'help' he wonders if they can see them. So what do you think? Let me know if reviews, favs, and alerts! Reviews get you better (and probably faster) stories!**


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